Community Involvement

Richard Shadinger

'Almost every day I am reminded how fortunate I am to be able to teach the subjects I love to bright and talented young musicians. The combination of talented students, caring faculty, and a large comprehensive School of Music in a small church related University setting makes for an exciting musical environment.'

Dr. Richard Shadinger is Professor of Music and has been a part of the Belmont faculty since 1974, teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses in music history and piano.

Dr. Shadinger earned the Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music History and Church Music and a Master of Church Music in piano performance from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He received his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Shorter College. He has also completed sabbatical study at Emory University and summer study at the Goethe Institute in Murnau, Germany. Prior to Belmont, Dr. Shadinger was an Instructor in Music at the Southern Baptist Seminary and an organist-choirmaster at a Christian Church in Louisville, KY. At Belmont he performs regularly on harpsichord with the Belmont Camerata Musicale and serves as Carillonneur for Belmont's 43-bell carillon. Dr. Shadinger holds membership in The Music Teacher's National Association, The American Guild of Organists, The Hymn Society, The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. His current scholarship projects include hymnology and 18th &19th century hymn and tune books. He has written numerous articles on church music, keyboard literature, and hymnology for The Hymn, The Church Musician, The Piano Quarterly, Pedalpoint, The Tennessean, Handbells, Proclaim, and The American Music Teacher.

Dr. Shadinger serves as organist at Immanuel Baptist Church in Nashville, and is strongly involved in organizations supporting the arts in Nashville. An avid reader, he collects books and enjoys hiking and travel.